The Patient: Sparkles

Sparkles has hit the 6 month mark, and that means a cat going in heat.  I absolutely hate a cat that is in heat.  They meow all the time and get in awkward positions that tend to spark the curiosity of children.  So instead of explaining the birds and the bees to my kids we took a trip to the vets.

Her surgery was today and she is not a happy camper.  They put this cone on her because she was already trying to chew through her stitches.  The problem with the cone is that she can't hide in her little hiding places because they are too tight for her new head accessory to fit in. 

Another big hurdle for her recovery is that she can't go up and down stairs for 7-10 days.  We have a 2 story house with a basement, and she is always going up and down the stairs.  That's going to be a hard one! 

I want to hold her, but whenever you mess with the cone she flips out and starts thrashing. I hate that I can't cuddle her right now, but she will be better soon and I am a firm believer in getting your animals spayed and neutered so as not to add to the animal population without homes.  That's how she came to be in our family.  She was a stray that tried to make her home in the engine of my Suburban.  If we hadn't have taken her in there is no telling if she would have made it.

She may be uncomfortable now, but at least she has a loving home, and I think that is key to her recovery.

Friday on a Monday

When we were living in California some good friends of ours adopted a dog from the Marin Humane Society. Their daughter named her Friday, which I thought was a really cool name. As soon as I met her I knew she was the perfect dog. I couldn't get enough of her. When her puppy mischief proved to be very costly (she chewed up their automatic pool cover!) they had to find other living arrangements.

I was more than happy to take her! It took Theo some getting used to, but he came around quickly. She really is a good dog! I guess it helped that we didn't really have anything expensive for her to chew up. Although she liked to go for the more sentimental things, like Theo's Mickey Mouse ears that had his name embroidered on it that he got from Disney World when he was a kid. And a pair of genuine baby Indian moccasins that I bought when I found out I was pregnant with #2.

But all in all she has proven herself a real keeper. She's been my protection when Theo is gone, my running companion, bed-cuddler with the kids and a member of the family.

I love my Friday!

Introducing Sparkles

At 12:30 A.M. Thursday night this little booger decided to make my engine her new home. Our dog, Friday, was barking like crazy at the window beside the driveway. Thinking it was Dakota, my cat, I let her in, but could hear the meowing pleas of another animal. I woke up Theo and together we spent the next hour and a half trying to coax this kitten out so we could grab her.

We would scare her out of my car just to have her run under Theo's car and jump up into his engine. Over and over we did this. I'm sure we were a sight!

Theo wanted to give up several times, but I was too afraid of turning my car on in the morning and something really bad happening and then we would be planning a Kitty funeral! Finally I forgot about my own skin and crawled under my car, reached up and grabbed her.

It is still not set in stone as to whether she will become an Ikner. Ever since I introduced her to the kids it has gone from glee-screeching squeals to tearful protests as to who held her the longest. I am really close to sending her to the LDS pound!

What? You've never heard of the LDS pound? It's the place my mom told me she took the new little kittens our Mama cat just weened. You know, so some nice Mormon family could adopt them? Or maybe it was just her way of consoling her young daughter who after finding out the kittens were gone when she came home from school, sobbed all night listening to THIS SONG over and over and over again.

Yeah, probably that.

Hopefully Sparkles will make it, or I just may be getting that song on itunes so my girls can start their grieving process.

Spring is Here!

Were you expecting a picture of a flower? I can always tell when warm weather is coming because my cat, and now my dog, lovingly let me know by leaving their winter coats all over my house. This is the result of only 20 minutes brushing my cat! Pretty disgusting, but let me tell you she is one happy kitty now!
Dakota and her brush

Friday

This is our dog, Friday. She sure is sweet and a good guard dog, but has not yet mastered her bladder. If we don't get her out immediately when she needs to go, she goes anyway. She was our motivation to buy a carpet cleaner! (Not the three kids mind you.) She runs and jumps like a deer, it's pretty amazing to see actually. Miriam is very helpful in calling her inside. Her Friday sounds more like "Fri-eh" and her attempts at the tongue clicking are adorable, and it gets the job done. We got Friday from some friends at our church back in October 2006 and she has just blended right into our family. Having her around gives me a real peace of mind, especially when Theo is called out. We look forward to many years with her, and hopefully by then she will have her bladder in control!